Preparation and characterization of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer/montmorillonite nanocomposite

Abstract

Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and monmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites havebeen investigated as a function of vinyl acetate content and molecular weight of EVA and types ofsubstituted alkyl ammonium of MMT. It is found that vinyl acetat e content and type of substituted alkylammonium are important factors for the intercalation behaviour of MMT in MMT/EVA nanocompo-site. Maleic anhydride grafted high-density polyethylene was used as a compatibilizer to improve theintercalation behaviour of MMT. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used tocharacterize the intercalation/exfoliation behaviour, and mechanical properties were measured.